Corn Cakes with Smoked Salmon & Creme Fraiche

I made these for mom and dad when I was in England last week. My dad loves pancakes of any description and I found some beautiful smoked salmon in Marks & Spencer – if you’ve ever been to England, you’ll know the huge chain store, which is commonly known as “M & S”. If I lived in England, I’d do a lot less cooking because their pre-prepared dishes are so incredibly good – yes, I’m afraid I’d get very lazy. The other thing that you just have to buy at M & S is underwear – their bras are legendary – however, let’s get back to the recipe!

The corn cakes are crunchy and light – teamed up with the rich, smokiness of the salmon and the tangy creme fraiche – you’ll fall in love. Creme Fraiche is a combo of sour cream and cream, so if you can’t find it, use sour cream and add a couple of teaspoons of cream. I know Trader Joe’s carries and great Creme Fraiche and many of the large grocery chains in the US are beginning to stock it.

Make sure that you get the best quality smoked salmon/Lox that you can find. As you are only using a little in this recipe, you can afford a small pack of the best.

This recipe makes a perfect Summer lunch or light Al Fresco dinner. It also works well as as appetizer for a dinner party if you just serve 1 pancake per person.

1/2cup cornmeal

¼ cup plain flour

corn cut away from 2 corn cobs

3 large eggs

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup butter, melted

½ tsp sea salt and 2 grinds of black pepper

3 scallions, use green parts only and finely mince them.

grapeseed oil for frying

Sliced smoked salmon

1cup crème fraiche

Place the first 7 ingredients in your food processor and pulse two or three times. You don’t want to over-process the mixture, as you still want discernable pieces of corn in the batter.

Pour the batter into a pouring bowl or large pitcher and stir in the scallions, reserving a small handful for garnish.

Heat the grapeseed oil in a large skillet until hot and almost smoking. Drop in tablespoon dollops of batter into the hot fat and fry for about 3 minutes or until bubbles appear in the top of the pancake. Very carefully, using a splatter cover, turn the pancakes over and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and put in a low oven to keep warm.

When you are ready to serve them. Place them on a pretty plate and spoon a dollop of creme fraiche on each pancake. Top with a sliver of smoked salmon and scatter some scallions over them to finish. Eat right away!

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About Me

I believe in creating simple dishes from beautiful ingredients. Since I love to cook, eat and think about food almost 24/7, I invite you to join me on my culinary journey, which is one of a time-challenged mom, who wants to have her cake and eat it too! (delectable food with a healthy twist.)
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